S'il suffisait d'aimer
by Evil Authoress Inc
Summary: (AU, following the first 6 episodes of Stars) Makoto angsts, Haruka crashes a car, a crazy professor finds an old journal of Tomoe, and the world is pretty much screwed.
1. Part 1

S'il suffisait d'aimer - Part 1  
Another legendary co-write between AngelAnne and Mars  
  
---  
"Slow down you crazy child  
You're so ambitious for a juvenile  
But then if you're so smart, tell me  
Why are you still so afraid?  
Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?  
You better cool it off before you burn it out  
You got so much to do   
And only so many hours in a day  
  
But you know that when the truth is told  
That you can get what you want  
Or you an just get old  
You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through  
When will you realize  
Vienna waits for you?"  
  
-- "Vienna" - Billy Joel  
"While waiting for the chocolate to cool, fold the dry ingredients with the milk and eggs in a separate bowl."  
  
Makoto sighed contently, listening to the thunder rattle her apartment's windows. There had been three dark and stormy days in a row, and while Minako complained about being trapped in her house with her unbearable mother, Makoto loved it. Had the wind not picked up, she would have left the window open and let in the fresh, water-laden air.  
  
"Nothing like a good storm," she mused, adjusting her bright green apron as she reached for the spatula.  
  
The oven binged, signaling that the first batch of cookies was ready to be brought into the real world. Makoto pulled on her oven-mitt (which was, of course, the same shade of green as her apron), and opened the oven door.  
  
The cookies were on fire.  
  
Well, no, not so much as "on fire" as "horribly singed, blackened, and smoking."  
  
Makoto yelped and yanked the cookie sheet from the oven rack…with the hand holding the spatula. The cookie sheet clanged to the floor-barely missing her slipper-clad foot-and burnt cookie husks flew everyplace. Makoto jumped back, and her elbow collided with not only the bowl of cooling chocolate, but also with the bowl containing the dough. Both bowls clattered to the floor. The one containing the chocolate shattered, and chocolate goo began to seep out onto the kitchen tiles like some primordial, B-movie monster. The bowl with the dough didn't shatter-most notably because it landed on Makoto's foot.  
  
Makoto swore, loudly and profusely, and for lack of anything better to do, threw the spatula. The spatula missed the vase of flowers on the windowsill, but unfortunately, did not miss the window. The spatula quite merrily sailed out the window and, judging from the cry of surprise a few moments later, had whammed an innocent bystander on the way down.  
  
Makoto stared at the mess in her kitchen in disbelief while massaging her crushed foot.  
  
On the plus side, that "fresh, water-laden air" was now filling the kitchen with its sweet scent…  
  
"I guess I'll have to go out and _buy_ cookies for Usagi-chan," she mumbled, watching the chocolate harden all over her cabinets. "She's not going to want to eat anything that came out of this mess."  
  
Groaning softly, she got to her feet, faltering slightly as her sore foot supported her weight. She removed her apron, and cast it aside over a nearby chair. If she was more religious, like Rei, or more superstitious, like Minako, she would have called that a bad omen. Ruining the food that was supposed to be eaten at a celebration of Nehelenia's overthrow (her _actual_ overthrow, mind you) and Saving the Earth Once Again - or maybe the food had heard of "dramatic irony." At any rate, she was now cranky-Makochan, and she had a mess to clean up.  
  
As she wet a sponge in the sink, Makoto looked back on the events of the last week. They were supposed to be starting high school with a fresh slate - no more enemies. They were just supposed to be students, doing their homework, going to clubs. But _no_, someone _had_ to break Nehelenia's seal, someone _had_ to let her kidnap Mamoru-san.  
  
"We should just stop celebrating our victories," she groused and turned back to the Royal Disaster Area of her kitchen, "We jinx it every time."  
  
A cookie-crisp tumbled from the top of the refrigerator and shattered against the floor.  
  
"I know how you feel, cookie-chan," Makoto said as she kneeled down and began to scrub at the gooey chocolate. Apparently, deciding to follow her luck as of late, the chocolate had cooled _extremely_ quickly and was now something of a solid object and wouldn't be removed by anything less than a high-quality chisel. Makoto tossed her damp sponge to the side in disgust and began to gather up cookie remains in her skirt.  
  
"Nice going, Makochan," she murmured, "Create an Usagi-esque mess..." she stood, skirt full of cookie-corpses, and made her way to the trash can, "Granted, Usagi-chan would probably take these to Mamoru-san and he, the poor man, would eat every last one..." Makoto trailed off and stared wistfully into the trashcan's maw, "Usagi-chan's so lucky..." she whispered and let the cookies tumble down into the mighty recesses of the kitchen trash.  
  
Usagi-chan _was_ lucky. She had a boyfriend who loved her, despite how many times he got possessed by people, and she saved him every single time. That's what Makoto wanted - minus the possessing and using of the Ginzuishou, of course. They didn't even have to be kissing and they looked like the most perfect couple ever to grace the streets of Juuban. Usagi-chan was so innocent, so cute. Mamoru-san was so sophisticated, so mature. "Opposites attract," it was once said.   
  
But if you were musing about couples, of course, you had to count Haruka-san and Michiru-san. They were the epitome of the It couple. They were so dedicated to each other _and_ to Usagi-chan. They managed to find the perfect balance between love and duty, and everything else be damned if they weren't _sexy_ while they were doing it.  
  
Where did that leave Makoto? Stuck in her apartment on a stormy afternoon, standing in the aftermath of Hurricane Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies.  
  
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say my life sucks," she said, idly poking the garbage can with the foot that had not been crushed. "Which it _doesn't_, because I've still got great friends--"  
  
_Who always get attacked by villains--_  
  
"I've got Usagi-chan, the best friend in the world--"  
  
_And you always have to bust your ass to protect her, even when you don't want to die--_  
  
"I'm in high school now--"  
  
_And someday it won't even matter, because you'll be guarding Neo Queen Serenity and your dreams will be left in the dust--_  
  
Makoto grunted vindictively, kicking the garbage can over. Okay, so her life _did_ suck, and she _couldn't_ do anything about it.  
  
She could, however, put on her jacket and go to the market for cookies.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Geniuses weren't always as crazy as they seemed.  
  
After almost a year of pouring over stolen research notes and creating new reasearch notes and scrounging through the ruins of Mugen Gakuen and having ephiphany after ephiphany...  
  
It was time.  
  
Yes, yes, it was time to finally prove that Tomoe Souichi had not been the raving infidel that the scientific community had labeled him as. Yes, it was time to prove that Tomoe Souichi had been _this_ close to not only finding the Holy Grail, but taking over the world as well. He had been brillant, really! Combining ordinary household items with an Egg of Daimon...oh, who would have thought! Who would have _thought_?!  
  
Granted, Tomoe Souichi had one fatal flaw: his daughter.  
  
Shame, shame. But alas, there was no daughter this time! No liabilities! The world would be seized by the darkness before anyone could blink, let alone tromp around in a short skirt and go-go boots.  
  
It was time. Yes, it was time. Only one vital ingriedient was missing: the egg whisk.  
  
Why an egg whisk? Well, why the hell not?  
  
It could be said that Professor Mizuwari Shimi was a lunatic. Certainly, if you saw him on the street, he would not look like your everyday Joe. His hair was blue - the kind of blue you saw on children's toys that were meant for blasting those evil glob aliens out of the sky. His glasses were huge and thick, making his beady black eyes seem inhumanly large. He was thin as a twig, pale as a ghost, and messy as ... really messy things. And he was _always_ grinning. Even while he slept, a lunatic sort of sneer graced his features, making him look a few shrimp short of a tempura platter.  
  
He had been reading up on Tomoe Souichi for quite some time. His exploits were well-known, and not because they were successful or in favor with the community. His research was unorthodox at best, hare-brained at worst. The creatures he produced in his lab were strange, and their goal even moreso: they were after the heart crystals of innocent souls, in pursuit of something called the Holy Grail. He swore that through the Holy Grail, he could revolutionize the world and bring about the ultimate Silence.  
  
After that, coworkers stopped inviting him to occupational functions and fundraisers.  
  
Shimi had just begun to take college classes at the time, and the feats of Tomoe Souichi were being buried among the scientific community. It was almost taboo to discuss any of his work. And Shimi began to wonder why.  
  
It took some stealth, some stamina, and some really incredible luck, but Shimi managed to strike paydirt one day: one of Tomoe Souichi's research journals (which, for some strange reason, had been crammed into a silverware drawer in the university kitchen.) And what paydirt that journal was. The first thirty or so pages were nothing special-notes on how cute/smart/beautiful/wonderful/extraordinary his daughter was, observations on this that and the other thing, blah, blah, blah. But afterwords, oh, afterwords, the little charbroiled journal became _interesting_. Hastily written theories on the Holy Grail, methods for combining living and inanimate objects, sketches of Talismans…  
  
And the more Shimi read, the more he wanted the Holy Grail. The more he wanted to collect the Talismans. The more he wanted the Silence to reign.  
  
The little blackened journal also contained some notes on Tomoe Souichi's downfall: the Sailor Senshi. Oh, they looked harmless enough in their little pencil-sketch forms, but the sloppily written notes beside the character sketches told another story. Here one girl had the power over fire and could fry him into a crispy critter, another could fling a chain of hearts, and here was this one with the funky hair and something that read, "bunny chop action."  
  
Shimi didn't care about them. Oh, no, he was more interested in this Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto…  
  
The possessors of the Talismans.  
  
And there, the journal ended.  
  
But it didn't matter. Shimi had what he needed. And he had the one thing he'd always wanted - the thing to make him famous. Well, it wasn't famous in a _good_ way, but after being Just Another University Student for so many years, he'd take it where he could get it.  
  
He walked down the street, grey trenchcoat being pummeled furiously by the raindrops. It would not be long now. Tomoe may have been defeated, but Shimi had nothing to lose. He had everything to gain.  
  
"There's a place in the world for the angry young man--*CLANK*"  
  
Haruka chuckled sheepishly at her silly mistake. She had been thinking of the words, not the notes. Her hands had gotten tied up in a knot, and as such had bungled the chord. Billy Joel would have been embarassed.  
  
Or maybe it had not been the lyrics to that old rock song that had made her miss the notes. For a moment, she'd felt something wrong in her chest. Like something was worming around in there, where it didn't belong. Something was changing, and it didn't feel like it was for the better. As soon as the feeling had come, it had left, and Haruka was feeling creeped out and suspicious.  
  
And she had so hoped those feelings were ancient history.  
  
"I take it that the angry young man finally hit puberty."  
  
Haruka sighed and swiveled in her piano stool. Setsuna lay luxuriously across the couch, reading what looked suspiciously like a trashy romance novel. A cup of tea sat cooling on the coffee table, and along with it, a plate of triple fudge brownies.  
  
"Saturday night and you're still hanging around?" she quipped.  
  
Setsuna eyed her over the glossy pink book cover, "Shush."  
  
Haruka snickered and spun back to the piano, "Sister's gone out, she's on a date!" she sang obnoxiously and strummed a few keys, "You just sit at home and--"  
  
"Don't you have to pick up Michiru at her art class?"  
  
Haruka smiled slightly and pulled the protective cover over the piano keys. "Yes, I have to go pick up Michiru," she grumbled playfully. She stood and made her way over to the chair where her jacket was draped (after making sure to snag a brownie.) Setsuna grumbled something unintelligible and quickly turned the page.  
  
"Dowrf mowf shof bur," Haruka said around a mouthful of stolen brownie. She inclined her head towards Setsuna's tea, and at Setsuna's exasperated nod, gulped it down, "Thanks."  
  
Setsuna mrrrrrrr-ed as she picked up her own brownie and began to daintily nibble at it, "Don't get lost between here and there, turn your headlights on, please stay in double-digits speed-wise…"  
  
"Yes, Setsuna-mama," Haruka grinned as she pulled on her coat and started fumbling for her keys.  
  
"And watch out for egg whisks."  
  
Haruka blinked. Not so much from what Setsuna had said, but from the sense of dread that she was suddenly blanketed in. But dread? From an EGG WISK?  
  
"I'll do my best," she promised quietly, and made her way to the front door.  
  
She made it all the way to the car before she started to feel lightheaded. She slipped into the driver's seat of a small black sportscar, sweat beginning to pour down her paling skin. She opened the garage door, and pulled out as the car's cover slid up. She managed to get down the driveway before losing consciousness, car plowing into a tree on the sidewalk and beginning to smoke.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Mafo-chun, dis coohies err reat!"  
  
Luna sighed dramatically, letting her head fall with a "thunk!" on the desk. "Usagi, the _least_ you could do is finish chewing first."  
  
Usagi swallowed briefly before devouring another giant chocolate chocolate chip cookie. "These must be the best you've ever made!"  
  
Makoto looked down sheepishly, tugging on the collar of her coat. "Well, actually, I had a little kitchen mishap and had to buy them from Urai's Confections."  
  
"I'm sure yours would have come out even better," Ami said, nudging her friends with her shoulder. "Had your kitchen not decided to mutiny."  
  
"So you caught the cookies on FIRE?" Minako asked, scarfing down cookies with the same fervor and insanity of Usagi, "I've never even done-gack!!!" Minako was cut off by a cookie lodged in her throat, courtesy of Rei smacking her on the back.  
  
"Oh, don't feel bad, Mako-chan!" Usagi said airily and beamed, "I burn cookies all the time and Mamo-chan still eats them!"  
  
"And then he sneaks off to the hospital to have his stomach pumped."  
  
"Oi! You're nasty, Rei-chan!"  
  
"Well, he does! Thank the gods he's insured!"  
  
Makoto watched the two banter for a moment and tried to muster an amused expression, but she couldn't. She was just too depressed. Usagi had Mamoru-san, who braved her kitchen exploits and loved her all the more. Usagi had Rei-chan, who while incredibly sarcastic and sometimes needlessly nasty, would die for her. Multiple times actually.  
  
Makoto shook her head before her thought train could plummet further into the Tunnel of Depressed Souls.  
  
Unfortunately, Ami noticed.  
  
"Are you okay, Mako-chan?" she asked quietly, but was yet still heard over the increasing volume of Usagi and Rei's argument.  
  
This time, Makoto did manage a slight smile, "Just a little down after my kitchen disaster. It's nothing."  
  
The phone trilled from the kitchen, and grateful for the excuse, Makoto scurried off, "I'll get it! None of you need to see the Chocolate Lagoon!"  
  
Makoto picked up the phone carefully, for it too had been covered in hardened chocolate goo. "Kino Makoto residence, Makoto speaking."  
  
"Makoto! It's Setsuna!" The voice on the other line sounded far away - bad reception, perhaps - and they were breathing very rapidly. "Something -- to Haruka! And they don't know what it --!"  
  
"Whoa, whoa," Makoto interjected. "Setsuna-san, relax. Tell me what happened."  
  
"She went to pick up Michiru from her art class, -- crashed when she was leaving the driveway. She's not -- injured, but she hasn't woken up yet, and no one can get a hold of Michiru!"  
  
Makoto sighed, collecting her thoughts. "Do you want me to tell Usagi-chan?"  
  
"NO!" That response came in loud and clear. "Not until we find out what happened! Usagi will just worry--"  
  
"Like you are," Makoto pointed out, but she went on deaf ears.  
  
"The point is, I just wanted you to know. I'll call you back if anything changes."  
  
With that, Setsuna hung up abruptly, leaving Makoto holding her chocolate-covered phone as far away from her ear as she could.  
  
Okay. So she had burnt cookies to beyond an Usagi-crisp, and Haruka had crashed a car. Today was more than a tad peculiar. And again, if Makoto had been superstitious or religious, she probably would have taken Setsuna's call as yet another bad omen.  
  
Instead, she replaced the petrified-by-chocolate receiver back on the cradle, buttoned her coat, and was out the door and on her way to the hospital within five minutes.  
  
Although, in retrospect, she probably should have said something to her friends before she left.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Michiru sighed happily, twirling her umbrella idly as she walked down the street. She knew she was supposed to get a ride from Haruka today, but she had to make an unscheduled (in other words, fully intentional) pit-stop somewhere. She looked down briefly at the little blue bag she cuddled carefully underneath her jacket. Haruka had probably forgotten, but it was the anniversary of their first "date." Of course, that first date had involved being ripped to bits by a daimon and condemning Haruka to a really sucky fate, but if you're not going to celebrate the _special_ memories...  
  
But what was vibrating all of a sudden? Michiru stopped, pulling underneath the overhang of a little café. She patted down all the pockets in her jacket - aha! Her cellphone! She idly wondered how long it had been going off as she adjusted the bag in her arms, tucked her umbrella between her neck and shoulder, and popped the phone open. "Michiru speaking."  
  
"Michiruwhereintheninehellshaveyoubeen?? Don'tyouknowhowtoansweraphone?! Ringanswer! Ringanswer! It'snotthatdifficultaconcept!!"  
  
Michiru pulled the phone away from her ear and blinked at it for a moment. The voice on the other end sounded like Setsuna…on speed. This voice sounded rattled and beyond the threshold of panic. Setsuna didn't panic. The closest Michiru had EVER seen Setsuna to panicking was when Hotaru stumbled across one of the "books" Setsuna had left by the bathtub. But that incident had involved merely a mortified expression and the slamming of many doors.  
  
This couldn't be Setsuna.  
  
Warily, Michiru raised the phone again, "Hello…?" she tried tentatively, "May I ask who's calling?"  
  
There was an exasperate sigh, "Who do you THINK?"  
  
The sarcasm was someone ill-suited for the voice, but yes, it was Setsuna.  
  
"Is something wr—" Michiru started to ask, but she was cut off.  
  
"YES!!! We're at the Juuban District Hospital—"  
  
"'We'?" Michiru repeated, as a cold tendril of fear began to seep down her spine. Oh no, no, no. This could not be what she was dreading it to be. It was peacetime now and significant others were most certainly not permitted to be hurt in any way, shape, or form.  
  
"Haruka crashed leaving the driveway—I heard her hit while I was reading—and she isn't seriously hurt but she's still unconscious and she's in the emergency room now—"  
  
Michiru's teal umbrella clattered to the rain-soaked sidewalk, but she didn't notice for she was too busy sprinting for the hospital. She fired off a hasty, "I'll be right there!" into her phone before snapping it shut and jamming it back into her coat pocket.  
  
She was going to kill Haruka for being hurt on their anniversary.  
  
…once she was done smothering her in kisses and was brave enough to stand an arm's length away so she could properly slap her.  
  
Michiru didn't notice the grey trenchcoat until she plowed right into it. Michiru fell to the ground, the trenchcoat fell to the ground, and the little blue package went sailing through the air.  
  
"Excuse me," she mumbled, hastily scrambling back up to her feet.  
  
"No, no, it's my…" the bystander's voice trailed off, "Oh my god! You're Kaiou Michiru, aren't you?!"  
  
Michiru repressed the urge to groan. Of all the times to run into a fan, it just HAD to be now…hopefully, she could rudely shake him off and get to the hospital.  
  
"Yes, and I'm in quite a hurry—"  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of detaining you!" the bystander held out a grubby little notebook and a pen, "If you wouldn't mind…"   
  
Michiru wanted to scream. Instead, she yanked away the notebook and pen, hastily scribbled what she hoped was her name, and shoved it back to its owner.  
  
Fearing there would be more delays if she spoke, she nodded curtly, and continued her sprint back towards the hospital.  
  
The bystander watched her retreating form for a moment, which wasn't easy considering how badly the rain was blotting his glasses.  
  
"Kaiou Michiru…" he whispered and lovingly petted the little research journal she had so kindly autographed, "Has anyone ever told you that you bear a striking resemblance to Sailor Neptune?" he shook his head and continued to walk, "Simply amazing…"  
  
CRUNCH!  
  
Shimi peered beneath the rim of his glasses to see just what he had stepped on:  
  
Michiru's anniversary present.  
  
With a slight smirk, he bent down and retrieved the small, slightly-squashed package and stuffed it into his trenchcoat pocket.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Silence was coming.  
  
Well, no it wasn't.  
  
It was trying, but it just wasn't quite there. After all, the Holy Grail ~had~ been destroyed and all.  
  
But right now, Haruka could care less about the Silence. The world could crumble, the world could shatter, the world could be made out of jam, and she wouldn't care. All that was important to her was that a dark and foreboding figure was holding the Deep Aqua Mirror in one hand and Sailor Neptune's limp form by the other.  
  
That, and she had forgotten their anniversary.  
  
Haruka remembered the Silence. She remembered how afraid she had been the first time she'd felt it coming. But then, she'd only had one person in the world to share that fear with. Now she had a Princess. She had fellow Senshi who demonstrated, time and time again, how dedicated they were to said Princess. It was not the same the second time around.  
  
Haruka didn't like how there had to be a second time around. And for all the world, in that strange dreamscape, watching the figure hold Neptune with a lot less care than her Talisman, she felt helpless.  
  
That feeling in her chest...it had been the Space Sword. Something had happened to her Talisman. She tried to call it out into the dreamscape, but to no avail. She fell to her knees, gasping for air. It had never failed to come to her before! Every time she called for it, it appeared in her hand.  
  
Unless...  
  
Could her Talisman be gone?  
  
And was the dark and foreboding figure singing?  
  
"Well, we all fall in love, but we disregard the danger…"  
  
Yes. It was. It was even sticking with the running Billy Joel theme of the day. But right now, Haruka was hard pressed to care. If she couldn't use her Talisman, she'd have to improvise. All that mattered was that this tacky figure was holding her Michiru and none too gently at that. Granted, Haruka would've been crankier otherwise…  
  
"Put her down."  
  
The dark and foreboding figure ceased its off-key "Stranger" rendition, and cocked its head to the side. If its eyebrows were visible, one of them would probably have been cocked.  
  
"Or what, exactly?" it asked snidely, "Do you think you can defeat me without the Space Sword?"  
  
As if on cue, the Deep Aqua Mirror stretched and morphed until it became the Space Sword. Haruka refused to be startled. She'd be confused over her Talisman's behavior after she saved Michiru and spent at least three days cuddling her.  
  
"I don't need it," she said lowly, "Now, put her down."  
  
"No."  
  
Haruka's hands balled into fists by her side. She was certain she didn't need the Space Sword…even if it wouldn't come to her when she called it. She was going to enjoy ripping this cretin apart limb from shadow-cloaked limb.  
  
"But I'll make you a deal."  
  
"Deal?" Haruka narrowed her eyes. She'd listen…but only until she could spring forward, kill this bastard, and catch Neptune before she hit the floor.  
  
"Yes," the dark and foreboding figure said with a nod, "Your Talisman," he inclined his head at the Space Sword, "For her life," and with nary a pause, the dark and foreboding stranger quickly and neatly snapped Neptune's neck.  
  
Haruka screamed. She screamed so loud that she awoke Michiru, who had been asleep in a hard plastic hospital chair for the last four hours, and Makoto, who was going on five hours.  
  
"Haruka!" Michiru bolted from the chair, toppling it over. She was mostly dry now, except for her hair, and she still looked like a rather soppy stray cat. "Are you okay?!"  
  
When Michiru bent over the bed, she got a terrible shock. "Fuck! Mako, her eyes are fully dialated!"  
  
If there was ever a time for Michiru to break character and say "fuck," that would be one of them, Makoto reasoned. The teal-haired woman grasped Haruka's shoulders with the full extent of her grip, shaking her lightly.  
  
"Come on, Haruka! Snap out of it!" she shouted over her lover's inconsolable scream. It sounded like she was saying something...was Haruka screaming her name?  
  
"Snap out of it, Haruka!" Michiru repeated, pale pink nails digging through the flimsy hospital gown. "I'm right here!"  
  
From the hallway, Makoto heard the rushing footsteps of what was probably a panicking nurse. Half of the hospital ward was probably up in arms over the ruckus coming from their suite. Hell, the hospital foundation was probably shaking.  
  
And she was right, for at that very moment, a flustered nurse burst into the room, closely followed by an extremely frazzled Setsuna. The nurse rushed to Haruka's bedside, tapping at a syringe, and roughly elbowed Michiru aside. Makoto put a restraining hand on Michiru's shoulder to keep her from elbowing the nurse back. The nurse jammed the needle into Haruka's arm and as the drugs entered her system, Haruka began to calm down.  
  
The nurse straightened herself up, and with a, "call me if you need anything", she briskly walked out the door.  
  
Michiru fired a Look, and quietly returned to Haruka's bedside, "Haruka?" she whispered.  
  
Haruka's expression was fuzzy at best. The drugs were obviously wrecking havoc with her already wrecked mind. Michiru was beginning to doubt that Haruka had even heard her, and she didn't trust her voice not to break if she tried again.  
  
"…Michiru…Michiru…" Haruka murmured something else unintelligle as she started to drift back into unconsciousness.  
  
"What?" Michiru asked, leaning down closer.  
  
"…Michiru…" Haruka's voice took on a slight, but harsh lilt, "The Stranger…kicked me right between the eyes…"   
  
---  
  
So. We've started another cowrite. And the world TREMBLES IN FEAR. (Or we hope they do.) This is, as we Evil Authoresses like to call it, justice. Specifically, this is Makoto justice, because Lord knows she needs it. It is also Outers angst, because we really really like angst.  
  
Here's to another successful cowrite!  
  
~AngelAnne and Mars  
  
DISCLAIMER: "Vienna," "Piano Man," "Captain Jack," and "The Stranger" are all property of Billy Joel, Sony Records, and ... people. "S'il suffisait d'aimer" is property of Céline Dion and her record label who seems to escape me right now. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, all concepts and characters thereof, are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai, Toei and others. By the use of these copyrighted songs and ideas, we are gaining no profit. And apologies to Billy-sama, if he ever reads this.   



	2. Part 2

S'il suffisait d'aimer - Part 2

  
The first thing Haruka noticed when she opened her eyes was that they were facing directly down into Michiru's breasts which was, by all estimations, not a terrible place to be.  
  
After the usual reactions that went along with being in such close proximity to said breasts, Haruka felt strange. It was as though something heavy was sitting inside her chest, as though someone had misplaced their claw hammer in there. Uncomfortable and cramped, that's how it was. Every time she took a breath, her lungs tightened, and she gripped her gown in agony.  
  
"Haruka?" Michiru mumbled sleepily, her head rolling over to face her lover. "Are you awake?"  
  
"Ngh," was Haruka's eloquent reply.  
  
Michiru took that for a "yes". After all, the "ngh" noise was the sound Haruka usually uttered before she had her morning coffee, car crash or no.  
  
"You're in the Juuban District Hospital," Michiru continued, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "Setsuna tells me you need your license revoked. Do you remember anything?"  
  
"Numph…"  
  
As much as Haruka loved listening to Michiru's lovely and elegant voice, the mere sound was driving icepicks into her brain. Everything hurt. No matter how much she tried to slip back into unconscious or no matter how she shifted, she was a handsbreadth from simply laying back and screaming in agony.  
  
"Mako-chan just left with Setsuna," Michiru was saying, much to the annoyance of the pain demons in Haruka's head, "They're going to tell the others what…what happened.  
  
Whatever the hell did happen, Michiru thought bitterly. She curled up closer to Haruka on the cramped hospital bed (much to the nurse's chagrin, but one glare from Makoto had silenced any and all protests from hospital personel), and held her close.  
  
Haruka had been in far, far worse accidents than this. Hell, some of the stuff she had done on PURPOSE hadn't hurt her more than this simple fender bender! Michiru would never admit it—it would be too unladylike—but she was beginning to feel frightened.  
  
A feeling which became even more compounded by the fact that the hospital suddenly lost all power.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Doorbells were the mother of all invention.  
  
Shimi poked gleefully at the button resting on the front door frame of the mansion and giggled as he listened to the muted "ding-dong!" through the mahogany door.  
  
Ding-dong!  
  
Ding-dong!  
  
Ding-dong!  
  
Dingdongdingdongdingdongdingdongdingdong!  
  
Lots of fun.  
  
"I'm _coming_!" Setsuna barked, stalking across the expansive living room in long, pissed strides. "Don't break my doorbell!"  
  
When she flung the heavy door open, she was greeted with the sight of ... nothing, save for a bowl of soba noodles.  
  
"What the fuck?" Setsuna finally managed, looking down on it suspiciously. How does a bowl of food ring a doorbell? Or appear on a doorstep? She was hesistant to touch it, but picked up the pristine white bowl anyway.  
  
It looked normal enough, smelled normal enough, wiggled normally enough - at least for the first five seconds. It was with growing horror that Setsuna saw something small and white in the center of the noodles, oozing fuschia slime in it. _This is a time for rational thought_, she thought. _This is a time to think things through, call the Senshi, determine the threat--_  
  
"GAH GET IT OFF GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!" she screeched, throwing the bowl like a baseball.  
  
The bowl shattered against the sidewalk, spilling noodles and fuschia gook everyplace. However, the noodles continued to writhe and wriggled around the small, white Daimon egg (which is what Setsuna was guessing the small white thing in the noodle bowl was, unless a shelled sunflower seeds were mutating into husks of EVIL). There was a bright flash, and surprise surprise, a daimon resembling something between a shag carpet with legs and a…Setsuna couldn't even think of another way to describe it.  
  
"Soooo-ba!" the daimon greeted her enthusiastically, striking a very odd contortion of a pose.  
  
"What…the…fuck?" Setsuna said again.  
  
"Soba?" asked the daimon, cocking its…head?…to the side.  
  
"Yes…" Setsuna nodded slowly and backed into the house, "If you will wait right there for a moment, I can go get my henshin wand from my bureau upstairs and we can forget this whole incident, okay?"  
  
The daimon seemed to consider this for a moment, "Soba!" it finally said with a vigorous shake of its head.  
  
Setsuna sighed, hesistating to back up further. Hotaru was in the house, and the green-haired woman was loathe to get her daughter involved. It had only been a few days since they had all been trapped in mirros, and since Hotaru herself had been a hairsbreadth away from killing herself, Setsuna thought it best to leave her to her own, safe devices. Not only that, but Haruka was due home soon, and if she was in the same shape she had been in at the hospital...  
  
"SOBA!" The daimon wrapped a slimy, soy sauce-covered limb over Setsuna's torso and flung her through the air like a frisbee. Setsuna cried out as she slammed into a tree, the force knocking all of the air out of her lungs and probably breaking some ribs.  
  
"Silence Glaive Surprise!"  
  
The daimon squacked in surprise, and threw itself on the ground, the sizzling purple energy barely whizzing over its ... head? Well, so much for not involving Hotaru.  
  
"I wish you would stop bringing dates home, Setsuna-mama," Sailor Saturn winked and tossed Setsuna's lavender henshin wand towards her, "Can you fight, or are you just going to swoon?"  
  
"I'm not 'swooning'," Setsuna growled through clenched teeth, "I'm FINE. It's not like I need ribs to point my Staff…"  
  
"Soba!" said the indignant daimon as it picked itself off the ground, "Soba, soba, soooobaaaaaa!"  
  
Saturn twirled her Glaive about her head and shoulders like some demented majorette, and caught what was supposedly the daimon's throat with the blade's tip, "Anytime, Setsuna-mama," she prompted airily.  
  
Setsuna rolled her eyes. When Haruka came back home, Hotaru was no longer allowed in her papa's presence. Two smartasses in one household - despite it's size - was just too much to bear.  
  
"Pluto Crysssss-yeaouch!"  
  
Speaking of too much to bear, her ribs obviously weren't going to cooperate and allow her to transform.  
  
Saturn's eyes widened slightly and her grip on her Glaive tightened. The daimon grinned maliciously (or rather, it was probably grinning maliciously under the noodles that compromised its face), seeming to know that one of its opponents was injured-  
,br> And that was all the Sobe daimon was really capable of, considering the moment it turned, the Glaive cleaved neatly through its neck and its head went sailing across the lawn. A moment later, a big, noodley pile of…daimoness…collapsed at Saturn's boots.   
  
Saturn raised a distasteful eyebrow at the soy sauce that had splashed on her fuku, "And tell me again why there is a daimon in our front yard…?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~ Seeing as how hospitals generally didn't lose power unless something was really, incredibly, and truly wrong, Michiru decided it was time she and Haruka made an early exit.  
  
"Haruka, are you particularly attached to any of this machinery?"  
  
"Nnngh, no, Michiru. Why do you GAAAYEAOUCH!"  
  
Michiru furiously ripped various IVs and monitors from Haruka's arms and chest. "Time for a jailbreak, love."  
  
"Funny, all we need are handcuffs, and it would be just like Friday night."  
  
In the dark, she could not see Michiru blush. Instead, she heard the clatter of metal, and then, "Neptune Crystal Power, Make Up!"  
  
Sailor Neptune, in all of her shiny teal glory, peered down from the fifth story balcony.  
  
"You could have at _least_ let me get my clothes," Haruka whined, shivering in her flimsy hospital gown. "I'm still sick, I'll have you know."  
  
"Shut up, snookie. I can see your boobs."  
  
This shut Haruka up in a hurry.  
  
After a few moments of stunned silence, she said, "Do you just plan on jumping?"  
  
In response, Neptune jumped, landing gracefully on the fourth story balcony, much to the surprise of an elderly man within.  
  
Haruka blinked down at her from her own balcony, "And I'm supposed to just follow suit?"  
  
"I'll catch you! I promise!"  
  
"I've heard that before," Haruka mumbled darkly and began to crawl over the balcony railing.  
  
"Not yet!"  
  
Haruka scrambled back onto the main platform, muttering obscenities.  
  
"I need to make a call," Neptune said pertly as she activated her communicator.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
On her walk from the Juuban District Hospital, back to her apartment where the other Senshi were probably still munching cookies, Makoto's communicator beeped.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"How about NOW? Can I jump NOW?"  
  
Neptune sighed in mock exasperation as she clicked shut her communicator, "Yes, yes, you can jump."  
  
Haruka pulled herself back over the railing, knowing full well that Neptune could probably see right up her hospital gown (and was probably enjoying every minute of it). She prepared herself to let go when-  
  
"I wouldn't do that."  
  
Haruka peeked over the railing to see a wiry little man pointing what resembled Eudial's Deathbuster Rifle at her.  
  
Haruka cussed sharply under her breath, pushing herself up against the hospital wall.  
  
"No, I assure you," Shimi said perkily, "my parents conceived me under the most proper of circumstances."  
  
"Who are you?" Neptune demanded sharply. She flicked her wrist, expecting her mirror to come when she called.  
  
Instead, every single one of her nerves felt like it was being set aflame. She wailed, falling to her knees as the pain intensified. Where was her Talisman? Why wasn't it coming to her?  
  
"Neptune!" Haruka eyed the wiry little man with the large, shining gun. "What do you want?"  
  
"The Silence."  
  
"Well, sorry, that's just not an option," Neptune countered grimly, getting to her feet though she was as pale as a ghost. Haruka, seizing her opportunity, lept down from her balcony very akwardly and unscientifically. Neptune caught her, haphazard as the catch may have been, and she took off, jumping the other three stories in one leap. She hissed when she hit the ground eventually, knowing she probably strained something, but broke into a full sprint as Shimi began to fire his Fire Buster III.  
  
"You can put me down now, you know," Haruka said, but Neptune ignored her.  
  
"You're still sick," Neptune barked, cutting through a back alley. "He'd get you in no time."  
  
"Sure, and your limp isn't slowing you down, either."  
  
"Shut up, Haruka," and this time, Neptune meant it.  
  
"Damn…" Neptune groaned, massaging her not only sprained but now singed ankle, "That thing has got some range. Who the HELL is this guy?"  
  
"A rotten singer," Haruka found herself muttering as she attempting to pull herself up. Gods, she had thought she had hurt before…  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing," Haruka's already-wobbling knees gave out again as she battled to pull herself into a more dignified position.  
  
Neptune let it go at that. Unlike Haruka, she managed to get to her knees. She held out her hand, calling for her Mirror-surely it would work this time!-and again, she felt that horrible shredding sensation. She collapsed with a cry and a curse.  
  
"My name is Mizuwari Shimi. I'm a fan of the esteemed Tomoe Souichi."  
  
"And how the fuck did you get down here?" Neptune managed to grind out through clenched teeth.  
  
"Well, I was not endowed with fancy sparkling objects such as yours, but I am an above-average runner," Shimi beamed, his glasses shining in the only sliver of sunset that was visible underneath the storm heads. "Besides, you were limping."  
  
Haruka figured she would save "I told you so" for later. If there was one.  
  
"Deep Submerge!" Neptune was pissed, and she made sure the giant ball of water told this Mizuwari Shimi fellow exactly that.  
  
Shimi fired the Fire Buster III into the air, hoping it would do him some good. Neptune's attack dissipated into nothing more than a few whisps of steam.  
  
"Damn you," Haruka growled. This Tomoe-wannabe was not going to make a monkey out of her. Sure, she didn't have her henshin wand, but that wouldn't matter!  
  
"Uranus Crystal Power, Make Up!"  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"Who was the genius who decided that a transformation will ONLY work with a henshin wand?" she grumbled, trying valiantly to not look like an idiot. Shimi grinned and, elbowing Neptune aside, fired the Fire Buster right at the harmless blonde.  
  
Who was promptly tacked by a giant red and purple blob.  
  
"Um, Haruka-san, my apologies," Sailor Mars stuttered, blushing furiously. Yes, she had indeed saved Haruka from being crispy critters, but her hospital gown had blown open in the heroic rescue and...well, Mars was getting a whole new view of Haruka's anatomy.  
  
"What is it with everyone and my chest today?!" Haruka growled. When Mars looked like she would pass out from embarassment, she added, "But since you just saved me, I suppose I will let your bisexual tendencies slide for now, Rei-chan. For now."  
  
"Reruns are saved for the summer season for a reason! No one wants to see them on TV! But even worse than television reruns are those that take place in real life! Be prepared, because we are about to change the channel!"  
  
"Oh my God…" Neptune muttered beneath her breath, "This is even worse than her typical speech…"  
  
"Agent of love and justice-"  
  
"You're a pretty soldier in a sailor suit, Sailor Moon, yadda, yadda, yadda," Shimi finished for her.  
  
Sailor Moon quit posing for a moment and blinked profusely, "Oo…oh…" she stuttered, "Ohhhkayyy then…" she called forth her Tier, which unlike the Mirror and the Sword, actually came to her, "I guess-"  
  
Shimi fired the 'buster again, cutting her off.   
  
Moon squawked indignately, diving out of the way, and an unfortunate alleyway dumpster met its untimely demise.  
  
"Look," Shimi was saying over the crackle of the flames in a surprisingly reasonable voice, "All I want are three Talismans so I can call forth the Holy Grail and destroy the world with the Silence. Is that too much to ask?"  
  
This caused a collective blink. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Moon, Neptune, and Haruka…blinked. They couldn't have asked for better subliminal choreography.  
  
"But the Holy Grail was destroyed by Pharoah 90…" Mercury murmured in confusion.  
  
"Destroyed into many little pieces…" Venus added in the same off-voice.  
  
"Tiny ones…" Mars nodded once.  
  
Now Shimi was blinking, "Are you sure?"  
  
Again, the seven managed coincide with their movements, and they all nodded one very slow, very precise nod, "Mm-hmm…" they all said.  
  
Shimi seemed to consider this for a moment, "Oh. Well ah…" he actually looked embarrassed beneath his rather manacial grin. He lowered the Fire Buster III and poked a few buttons on the rifle, "I guess there's only one way to find out…" he said with a shrug. He aimed and fired.  
  
However, flames did not ensue.  
  
A spike of black energy emerged from the gun barrel and slammed into Haruka's chest.  
  
Jupiter thought she had never heard anyone scream quite the way Haruka was doing right now. But then, she had not been in the Marine Cathedral the first time this had happened...  
  
The worst part was, as that tiny pink crystal began to sparkle to life outside of Haruka's chest, that she was powerless. She could have stopped that guy! She could have done something! If she just hadn't left the hospital...had it really only been a few hours since then?  
  
Haruka collapsed into a writhing, sweating, shaking heap on the asphalt. Her hospital gown had come most of the way off, although with the threat of dying very imminent, she was hardly concerned with modesty.  
  
That orb of light hovering above her was -- no, it couldn't be! But it _had_ to be. It was Haruka's heart crystal, which she had assumed was safe for quite a long time. But it was morphing into her Space Sword, as though it was a brand new phenomena. As though she had gone back in time, as though Nehelenia and the Dead Moon Circus had been erased, and they were back at that cursed Marine Cathedral.  
  
But this time, her precious Michiru had not been the first to die. And maybe this time, she wouldn't have to die at all. Stupid rule about henshin sticks; had it not been for that...  
  
Shimi eagerly rushed for the newly birthed Talisman. Before he could grab it, Jupiter saw her chance. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"  
  
"OW OW OW!" Shimi snatched his hand back, too late to save himself from the extreme shock. "You were just supposed to stand there, awe-struck, while I grabbed that!"  
  
Jupiter responded to this by punching him in the stomach.  
  
He doubled over with a geeky sounding "Ooomph!", almost dropping the 'buster.  
  
"What is WRONG with you?" Jupiter found herself screaming, "Do you not understand what 'The Holy Grail is BROKEN' means?!"  
  
"It…can't…be broken," Shimi wheezed, trying to unfold himself so he could fry the green and pink senshi. After all, who needed brawn, when you had the Fire Buster III (which he, like Eudial, was applying for a patent)?  
  
"…Haruka…" Neptune whispered hoarsely, reaching for the Space Sword. This could not be happening again! Why had Haurka's Talisman infused with her heart crystal again?  
  
No, she didn't have time to care…if she didn't figure out how to reverse this, her Haruka was going to die. She spoke from personal experience.  
  
As did Haruka.  
  
Haruka was staring up at her Talisman with glassy eyes. Setsuna would know how to separate the Sword from her heart crystal…unfortunately Setsuna wasn't here. And if this Ritalin-deserving lunatic had wanted her Talisman, he would want Michiru's Talisman. And if the Mirror was acting anything like the Sword…then Michiru would be killed also.  
  
And that was simply unforgivable.  
  
"Rei-chan…" Haruka managed to whisper hoarsely, "Get her away…get Michiru away…"  
  
And, considering this was akin to a rerun, and Mars remembered what had happened the last time at the Marine Cathedral, she simply nodded and grabbed Michiru's arm.  
  
"Distract him!" she called to Jupiter as she took off dragging a wildly protesting Neptune.  
  
Jupiter was glad to oblige, as was Venus. Her maniacal grin was catching, and when finally managed to get to his feet, Venus planted a happy kick right up at his temple. He stumbled backward akwardly, leaving the Fire Buster behind, and as he looked like he would get his balance, a cry of "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" sent him reeling into the nearest streetlamp.  
  
"Shouldn't we be helping?" Moon asked, but Mercury shook her head, keeping her Princess protected.  
  
"I trust the others to keep him occupied. If no one's guarding you, he'll probably try something funny," Mercury reasoned. For that exact reason, Mercury kept darting her eyes all over the place, letting no one out of her sight. It was making her slightly dizzy, but it was better than losing her view of this strange Tomoe-clone.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Neptune screamed, wrenching her arm out of Mars' grip. "I refuse to leave Haruka's side!"  
  
"Oh, so you can get killed, too?" Mars screamed back, grabbing the other Senshi's shoulders. "Don't let your emotions get in the way right now, Neptune! Do you honestly think Haruka would like it if you died, too?!"  
  
"She's not dead yet!" Neptune snapped, backhanding Mars across the face. "Don't you dare talk about her like she's dead!"  
  
Mars refused to touch her stinging cheek; instead, she kept her gaze locked on Neptune. "Without Sestuna-san here, how are we going to save her? She's the only one of us who knows how to seperate a Talisman from a heart crystal."  
  
"I'll find a way." Neptune turned around, fully intending on returning to Haruka's side, at least to comfort her. However, Mars was not going to let the day end with two sensless deaths, and before Neptune could even take one step, Mars grabbed her arm. With more strength than she thought she had, Mars spun the teal soldier around and backhanded _her_ across the face.  
  
"Dammit, Neptune, you don't have the sense the gods gave a goldfish!" she bellowed. "That guy is going to kill you, too, and I DON'T WANT THAT!"  
  
Neptune actually stumbled backwards under the Mars' blow.  
  
"I don't care!" she screamed shrilly back at Mars. She could feel tears beginning to sting at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to acknowledge them, "Don't you understand?! I have to be with her! I have to! Just because you don't have anyone--"  
  
Mars slapped her again.  
  
The two stared darkly at each other for a moment.  
  
"I'm going back," Neptune said darkly as the tears began to trickle over.  
  
"Like fucking hell you will," Mars said in the same tone of voice. She clamped onto Neptune's arm and viciously yanked her away from the battle.  
  
Shimi, on the other hand, was quite literally having the bejesus beaten out of him. Okay, so he had committed the faux pas of underestimating the Sailor Senshi…if he could just get back to the Fire Buster III without a "Jupiter Oak Evolution" frying him or a "Venus Love-Me Chain" whipping him about, these girls would be no match for him.  
  
Glittering palely in the dying light was the Space Sword.  
  
Shimi fixated on that. He had to get that Talisman. He had to get past these mini-skirted amazons, get the Sword, and get the HELL away.  
  
Moon saw the battered little man staring greedily at the Space Sword and her eyes narrowed. She would NOT let him have it. She absolutely WOULD NOT. She skittered away from behind Mercury and kneeled down next to Haruka, but kept her Tier at the ready.  
  
"Hello…my kitten…" Haruka whispered hoarsely. She reached up with a shaking hand to caress Moon's cheek, "I'm…so glad…you're here…"  
  
"I think you'd prefer me to be Michiru-san," Moon said with as much wryness she could wring from her trying-not-to-panic state of mind.  
  
Haruka tried to chuckle, but it turned into a cough instead, "Protect her…from him…" "Crescent BEAM!!!"  
  
"OW!!!"  
  
Moon looked up in time to see Shimi holding a singed hand. He had almost been able to reach the Fire Buster, and Venus had (gleefully) zapped him. Moon shook her head in something akin to bemusement. Yes, they were going to close curtains on the Tomoe-clone.  
  
A soft sigh caught her attention and Moon quickly looked back down, "Haruka-san?" Nothing.  
  
"Haruka-san?!" Moon flung the Tier to the pavement, and felt Haruka's cold neck for a pulse. There was none to be found.  
  
"Haruka!" Neptune knew. That brief feeling, as though the wind had just kissed her cheek...Haruka was gone. They had been too late. Tears began to pour furiously down her face, and Mars finally let go of her arm.  
  
"Go to Hell," she spat at Mars, and then ran to Haruka's side. Mars looked away guiltily, clenching her shaking hands.  
  
"Michiru-san, I'm so sorry," Moon sobbed, picking up her Tier. "If only we had known how to seperate her Talisman...Michiru-san, can you ever forgive me?"  
  
"Princess, it's not your fault," Neptune whispered hoarsely, teal hair dropping down in front of her eyes. She got down to her knees, held Haruka's pale hands in her own, and sobbed softly into what remained of her flimsy hospital gown.  
  
"Baka. How dare you die on me," she hissed, her entire body shaking in despair.  
  
Somewhere, in what passed for Shimi's soul, he knew he should feel bad about this. But with all of the Senshi distracted by Uranus' demise, he could easily get to that Talisman. He made no sound as he picked up the Fire Buster, and then in a leap of unbecoming speed, grabbed the Space Sword and RAN.  
  
"Mercury Aqua Illusion!" The ice froze two stop signs and another street lamp, but Shimi had already disappeared.  
  
"DAMN IT!" Mercury swore, and every stared at her in amazement. Had Ami-chan just said ... damn it? Really said it?  
  
"Bastard got away," Mars muttered gruffly. "But not again."  
  
Jupiter touched her face; indeed, salty tears had begun to fall down her cheeks. If she had just been faster! If she had thought to call Setsuna! If she had done any number of things differently, Haruka would still be alive.  
  
"Damn it indeed," Jupiter swore. She turned sharply and punched a streetlamp with such force that it bent neatly in half. Jupiter could hear her knuckles crack and break from the blow, but she didn't care. Why should she? Her pain wouldn't bring Haruka back. She looked at the blood seeping through her white glove with a masochistic sort of amusement.  
  
"Makochan! Please, stop!" Moon cried, torn between helping Michiru and keeping her Senshi from abusing themselves out of guilt. "Please, everyone, we have to...we have to think of Haruka and be strong! We can't just stand around here while that evil guy works to bring the Silence back!"  
  
"But he can't bring the Silence back!" Venus said vehemently. She scrubbed furiously at her eyes, because just like everyone else, she was crying as well, "The Grail was destroyed! No Grail, no Silence!"   
  
Moon picked her Tier back up and hugged it close, "I don't think he cares, Minako-chan..."   
  
"He's insane," Jupiter spat and clenched a bloody fist.   
  
"He knows who we are…"   
  
The five Inner Senshi turned. Michiru was still clinging to the remnants of Haruka's hospital gown. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat, and her hair was still hanging down, hiding her face.  
  
"He knows who we are…" she whispered again, "He knows we have Talismans…and he knows what the Talismans were for…"  
  
"So he will be after you next, won't he," Moon said quietly.   
  
Michiru nodded once, "Yes…as well as Setsuna…"   
  
"No." Everyone turned their attention from the pitiful sight of Neptune back to Jupiter. The entire hand of Jupiter's right glove was stained a liquid red and there was a fierce fire in her eyes. Her posture was ramrod straight and erect, and she was most certainly tense.   
  
Not to mention ANGRY.  
  
Angry with Shimi for killing Haruka, yes… But mostly angry with herself for not being able to stop it.  
  
"I won't let him hurt any more of you," she vowed in a steely voice, "I'll…I'll keep guard over you or…something…"   
  
If only to make up for this screw-up, she added silently, Oh, Haruka-san, I'm so sorry…I tried…  
  
"That's a good idea, Mako-chan but-" Moon was cut off as her communicator beeped. Puzzled, she popped it open and was greeted by a tiny image of Sailor Saturn's face.   
  
"Usagi-san!" said the tiny voice, "I can't get a hold of Michiru-mama and there's a daimon in our front yard!"   
  
"What?" Moon's eyes widened as she looked up at her fellow Senshi. "I think…I think we're too late already…" 


End file.
